The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-07
An Incident in Which Two Elderly but Lively
Women and Very Brisk, Business-Like
Young Lady Play the Principal Parts.
Clara Discovers an Uncommonly Clever
Trick in an Actors "Make-Up."
Woman Who Was DESTROYS of Showing How
She Could Play the Part of Lady Macbeth.
pecial to the Indianapolis Journal.

New YORK, Aug. Cone of the big and
fashionable dry goods houses advertised spe-
cial summer clearing-out sale, and prices were
quoted that made economical women's purse
strings unite of their own accord. The pros
pect of getting first rate goods for about twenty
per cent of the usual price was most alluring,
and the counters for the succeeding three or
four days densely crowded by hot, un-
comfortable, eager crowd of women. They
were mostly people of ordinary means. as wonld
be expected, but there were noticeable excep
tions. Each day brought young and old women
in their private carriages. just if it were mid
winter and this were q fashionable opening of
new and expensive lines. The explanation
probably lay not much in the fact that there
are peopleswho put up the shutters on the front
windows and live in the back rooms during July
and August, that many summering within
reasonable travelling distance of the city the
advertisements and made special trips back
home to take advantage OF the extraordinary
prices. That business but there also
a comicai element in it, for nine out of ten of
them came at preposterously early hour. hop
ing to get ahead of all others who might be do
ing the same thing This was not for fear of
losing the best bargains, but to avoid being
recognized. Not half the clerks had arrived at
their places when the first carriage rolled up to
the door. The liveried footman leaped from his
perch. opened the carriage door and stood sol
EMMY at side large. elderly, but lively
woman Immediately stepped out, purse bag in
hand and gave rapid glance about her. Then
she smiled in a satisfied, triumphant way, and
marched into the store. A few minutes
later and similar carriage stopped at the
curb. Again IL elderly woman
who appeared at the door. She put her foot on
vehicle, when she caught sight of the first carr-
age just below. Hastily wthdra wing. she bade
the footman tell the driver to 60 round to the
other entrance to the store on side street. In
q little while third carriage came up. Ayoune
lady, brisk and business-like in appearance, got
out. She saw the first carriage with uniis-
guised astonishment and paused on the sidwalk
for a brief instant. Then she threw her head
little higher into the air and waltzed into the
store determined, apparently, to put bold face
on the matter. By halfpast the walk in
front Of that store was SO crowded with carriages
that ihe policeman of the neighborhood had to
keep them moving just as if the occasion had
been n spring opening opera matinee In
side the store L witnessed the encounter oe two
or three of the shame faced purchasers It took
all their cultivated self possession to appear un-
concerned and glad to each other. ~ was
Just passing through town. said one. ION
way to Saratoga. aud it did not seem right to
leave the place without at least a pretense at
shopping" And was curious" eaid another,
s'to see what could be in the shops in this hot
weather" Just if limited amount of shop
ping not done every week of
the summer season. But the young lady
who held her head all the higher when she
saw that she was not alone on the economical
tri., fad ali ar1v and 11or-
woman effrsively, and said: And oh Mrs.
Van de Van, / want you to come right down to
the next section. They have there some Of the
loveiest satin marked away down so low that it
is a shame that it should not be bought up at
once. / am sure you will feel like taking some,
it is so cheap, I bought lot of it. and Mrs
Van de Van looked as if she were taking a great
swear never, never to go shopping again in the
summer because goods were advertised at low
rates
It is a common saying that ever ybody is out
of town at this time of year. But for some rea-
son or other the theaters that keep open find
patronage that pays, and the great commerci al
houses where society does its shopping keep up
a brave pretense at business during the hottest
of the hot weather The most cursory glance
about town will serve to show that there are
lots of worthy people left here, and now and
then the luctuatng tide Of fashion brings those
of the country residence back for day or two
at a time They pause in the transit from one
watering place to another. 1t may have been two
girls OF this class that in the front of the
balcony at one of the theaters the other
evening, considerably interested in the
leading actor, little in the play, and
not at all in the people about them. They were
dressed in the breeziest of white founcy
dresses. and looked like n Whit of mountain air
that had got lost in the city and strayed into the
theater to find somebody to take it home They
took turns in inspecting the handsome star
oh fha nnn r1.fr Of -ry1 %Aorv ao1
between them. Their comments, which were
hepessly audible three away were varia-
tions on ',lsnt he nice" with the accent on the
nice, and Isn't he nice" with the accent ON the
isn't. Incidentally they interarded unfavorable
opinions of the ladies in the cast such az. Il
don't think much of her, do you?" and 'She
doesn't dress as if she were accustomed to good
clothes. does shel" 1t was towards the end of
the second act that one of them, who gazing
intently through the glasses, excitedly nudged
her companion, and exclaimed:
.'Oh Nelll do look!
''Look2 At whom"
why. him. to DE sure. Just seer
''But / can't if you keep the glasses to your
self all the while"
cot of course. well, here. take them and look
at his eyes"
The companion did as directed and there was
a half-minute of searching inspection and si-
lence. Then she said:
"Well. what's the matter with them?H
Cant you sect"
"Why / think they're nice eyes"
Eyes, but don't you see they're brown!"
The second girl looked again a QuiVer or eX- |
element seemed to pass over her body.
Dear mel she exclaimed, $50 they are and |
she laid down the glasses with a look of pro-
found astonishment on her face. The first girl |
at once seized the glasses again and aimed them /
at the handsome actor. She nodded emphat- |
ically.
They surely are brown" she whispered; 'its
perfectly plain now"
"How in the world does he make them look |
bluel" inquired the second girl.
And then ensued series of surmises this |
important question, and it was accompanied by |
any number of py-glass inspections The girls /
sensibiy concluded at last that the trick of
makeup was nice" one, but that it would in
all probability not be effective off the stage.
Such is the fact The actor in the story is a
man famous for the faithfulness in detail which
he observes in his making M for parts, and
having the role of a blonde Saxon to play, it
seemed to him altogether improper that he